The Bossier Arts Council is dedicated to fostering, promoting, supporting and providing cultural events and arts programming of the highest quality for Bossier Parish. The Bossier Arts Council emphasizes this mission by: focusing on the growth and education of artists and arts organizations, enhancing the quality of life for Bossier citizens and developing a cultural identity for Bossier.

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Today,
we write on behalf of the Bossier Arts Council to seek your help in providing
much needed art supplies to our local schools. As musicians, artists,
performers, parents and educators, you know that every local arts community
needs to support our children and their creativity. One of the best ways that
we can do that is to provide the tools that are desperately needed to create
art.

While
the people of our community are surrounded by a potentially vibrant culture of
traditional music and dance, other art
forms too often suffer from neglect. In almost every school, the arts
simply aren't a part of daily curriculum. Talented visual artists, songwriters,
dancers and instrumentalists--working in both traditional and modern
modes--have few opportunities to share their work.

The
Bossier Arts Council is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization (TID 72-0895929) dedicated
to promoting, supporting, and providing cultural events and programming in
order to enhance the quality of life and to develop a cultural identity for
Bossier Parish. We feel that $1.00 per
year per student is simply not enough to foster that growth. Teachers often
pull resources from their own pockets to provide much needed supplies for their
classrooms.

Project
Art Supplies, under the umbrella of The Bossier Arts Council, is an outreach
program which offers supplemental art supplies to schools in Bossier Parish.

You
can help make this a success by choosing to help in one of two ways:

Your
financial support during Project Art Supplies campaign is vital to our mission to provide art supplies to area students. If
you consider yourself a patron of community development through the arts,
becoming a supporter is for you! Donations of any size are appreciated and
needed.

In
addition to cash, BAC is also accepting donations of materials (art supplies). A
list of commonly used art supplies is listed below and may be dropped off at our
offices. These donations are tax-deductible.

The
simplest way to give is by visiting our website at www.bossierarts.org, and
clicking the link called "Donate."

As
you look through the information provided, please feel free to contact us with
any questions. We appreciate your time, interest, and support. We look forward
to hearing from you, and will keep you updated as this project continues to
grow in the months and years to come.

Friday, August 30, 2013

SHREVEPORT - Norla Preservation Project and Bossier Arts
Council will host an art exhibit entitled, “The Louisiana Shotgun House” at the
Gallery Fine Art Center, 2151 Airline Drive, Bossier City, LA. The exhibit will feature multiple area
artists coming together to celebrate the shotgun house, a cornerstone of
Louisiana’s cultural heritage. It will run from Monday, October 7th through
Thursday, October 31st.

Norla Preservation Project will host an art opening Tuesday,
October 8th. The event welcomes Guy Carwile from the Louisiana Tech University
School of Architecture, who will discuss the history and significance of the
shotgun house. The event will feature music by Brian Sivils and refreshments by
Village Cuisine Restaurant and Catering. The opening will be held at the
Gallery Fine Art Center, 2151 Airline Drive, Bossier City, at 7:00pm. The event
is free and open to the public.

According to Kelly Rich, founder and Executive Director of
Norla Preservation Project, “Part of Norla's mission is to educate the public
about historic preservation and our cultural heritage. This art exhibit
appreciating the Shotgun House will be a perfect way to increase awareness of
one of Louisiana's most iconic symbols of the South."

Interested
artists will be charged a $15 entry fee, with 15% of all sales being donated to
Norla Preservation Project. The exhibit is open, with no prohibitions on media,
age, or number of entries. All artwork should be original and inspired by the
shotgun house. Drop off date will be Sept. 23rd from 11am-2pm. Pick
up will be November 1st. Neither Norla, BAC, nor the building owner will assume
liability for loss or damage of work. All two-dimensional work must be dry, framed,
and wired for hanging. Additional
information is available through Bossier Arts Council.

Norla Preservation Project is a non-profit organization
focused on promoting historic preservation and repurposing, rather than
demolishing, historic structures in Northern Louisiana. The first project,
entitled “Baker Street Bottoms Shotgun Development,” will coordinate the
relocation, preservation, and repurposing of six Shreveport shotgun houses for
commercial use as part of a downtown revitalization effort. Additional information
is available at the Norla Preservation Project website, www.norlapreservationproject.com
or www.facebook.com/NorlaPreservationProject.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The lecture will deal with the social history of the color blue and
will focus on
European history, beginning with antiquity through the nineteenth-century.

Saturday August 31 from 2-4pm

Gallery Fine Art Center

2151 Airline Drive

Bossier City, La (318) 741-9192

About Dr. Mikaberidze: Born in the Soviet Kazakhstan, Dr. Mikaberidze grew up in the newly independent Republic of Georgia. He holds a law degree from Tbilisi State University (Republic of Georgia, 1999) and worked as an international law expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (1996-2000). In 2000, Dr. Mikaberidze moved to the US to pursue his dream of studying history. He joined the prestigious Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at Florida State University where he finished his Ph.D. in history in 2003. He has taught European, World and Middle Eastern history at Florida State University and Mississippi State University and lectured on strategy and policy for the U.S. Naval War College. He has written and edited more than dozen titles, some of which have won literary prizes. At LSUS, Dr. Mikaberidze teaches courses on history of Europe and Middle East and is currently developing a course of history of private life in Europe.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Shared from rattle.com...

Poems Written by Children

There’s not a bad poet in first
grade. None of them are anything but fresh and original … they don’t
know how to avoid being original. —Sharon Olds, from Rattle #17

When most people think of Children’s Poetry, they think of poems
written by adults for kids. They don’t think of children themselves as
poets, and it’s very difficult to find any anthologies of poems written
the other way—by children for adults, as well as those their own age.
But the early years of language development are magical. No other time
in life is full of such wonder, such imagination, and such linguistic
experimentation. Young poets don’t write out of habit; they haven’t
even learned yet how to be cliche. They write with a natural
spontaneity that adults can only hope to achieve.
Poetry is never more fun than when you’re young, and young poets should be encouraged as much as possible.
Way back in 1998, Rattle published an issue featuring poems written by children.
Unfortunately it is now out of print. Starting in 2013, we would like
to extend that idea, and place a submissions call for an annual
anthology of young poets. The books will be available both in print and
as ebooks, with a portion of the proceeds going to a relevant charity.
Every poet contributing will receive a free copy.
Please keep in mind that we will not be able to publish every poem,
or even a majority of the poems submitted. Our goal is to make this
anthology something that’s genuinely worth reading for both children and
adults alike.

Young Poets Anthology Guidelines

1) Poems must be submitted by a parent or legal
guardian. We would be happy to have teachers encourage their students
to submit work, but the submission itself must come from a parent.
2) The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written.
3) The poets may use their whole name, first name, or a pseudonym at
their parents’ discretion. We will not publish any contact information.
4) Submit up to five poems at a time. What until we’ve replied to the first submission before sending more.
5) Upon acceptance, a parent or legal guardian must sign a release
allowing us to publish the poem. We will also request an audio
recording of the poem by the child for inclusion in the ebook version
and/or on our website. Recording may be done yourself, or over the
phone (we will provide details).
6) Only email submissions will be accepted. Include the
parent/guardian’s name and mailing address, and the child’s age when the
poems were written. The poems may be pasted into the body of a single
email, or attached in a single file (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf). Send the
submission to:

Monday, August 26, 2013

An unusual and exciting product new to Digifest this year
combines all the fun elements of dancing flames, shimmering water,
floating fish, magical stars, blooming flowers and visual auras with the
element of surprise, into one single floor projection system. Interactive Projection System is unusual, exciting, and modern. Imagine
for a moment, if you will, walking over a
swimming pool filled with shimmering water, goldfish swimming through
the water. Then, as you walk you see
ripples in the water, hear the sounds of your footsteps and see the fish
darting away from your feet.What about playing soccer or hockey indoors without the risk of breaking something??

Friday, August 23, 2013

A new and exciting aspect of DigiFest South this year is our DigiPitch event! DigiFest South’s entrepreneur pitch event , DigiPitch, assists entrepreneurs/investors in developing their digital media ideas, connects them with angel investors and guides the implementation of the idea.

Jeff Amerine, PMP

I have 22 years of deep technology and business leadership and early-stage investment experience that has included P&L responsibility in Fortune 500 firms along with startups. I am the Director, Technology Ventures for the University of Arkansas, and a staff advisor for Innovate Arkansas. I co-founded Gravity Ventures Arkansas Fund I and II, Natural State Angel Association, and the Gone in 60 Seconds Elevator Pitch Contest. I teach entrepreneurship at the UA Sam M. Walton College of Business as well.

Mike Smith Jr. brings more than 20 years of business advisory experience to the Innovate Arkansas team. Mike is a former senior vice president in the Corporate Finance Group of Stephens Inc. He completed more than 50 merger and acquisition, public offering and private placement transactions for privately owned and publicly traded middle market companies during his 13 years there. He also sourced and executed principal investments for the Stephens family. Mike is actively involved in venture capital and entrepreneurial development in the region, speaking on venture capital and early stage business development topics and serving on several private company boards.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Bossier, LA- LCEF is pleased to announce a partnership with the Bossier Arts Council to create a fund for distribution of Economic Opportunity Fund grants in Bossier Parish. The partnership is designed to promote cultural and economic development at the local level. “The Bossier Arts Council is thrilled to partner with the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation to expand opportunities for our community artists. BAC believes that our artists are not just the "icing" on the cake of economic opportunities but rather the driving force behind creative entrepreneurship, “ said Leigh Anne Chambers, Executive Director of the Bossier Arts Council. “We are excited to have Bossier Arts Council as a partner to help us promote the EOF grant program in Bossier Parish. As a statewide organization, it is important for LCEF to have the greatest possible outreach to cultural producers. One of the goals of the partnership is for us to work together with arts agencies around the state to ensure quality application submissions from their parish," said Lisa Picone, LCEF EOF Director. LCEF plans to distribute at least two grants in Bossier Parish as a result of this
partnership.

The deadline to submit applications online is September 13th, 2013 at 5 p.m ( CST ). This is a hard deadline, the online system will not accept applications after this time. Applications are available now at www.culturaleconomy.org and must be submitted online. LCEF is hosting a webinar for interested applicants Tuesday, August 27th at 5pm. To register to participate via computer, email lisa@culturaleconomy.org. If interested applicants don't have access to the internet, they can view the webinar at the Bossier Arts Council. RSVP by phone 318-741-8310 or email leigh@bossierarts.org. Bossier Arts Council is located at 630 Barksdale Blvd. Bossier, LA 71111.

The Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation Economic Opportunity Fund is designed to increase the entrepreneurial capacity and economic health of cultural economy stakeholders. Grants through this fund are made to individual cultural workers, nonprofit cultural organizations, and cultural economy businesses to increase income or earned revenue through an innovative, specific, unique opportunity identified by the applicant. These funds are not intended to be general support dollars for projects or organizations. "They are targeted to unique opportunities to earn income that are not a part of the applicant’s regular work or programming. Self-employed individual cultural producers, nonprofit cultural organizations and cultural small businesses based in Louisiana are eligible for the EOF grant program. Maximum grant awards are $2,500.

The Bossier Arts Council and the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association ArkLaTex chapter proudly present DigiFest South 2013 Kickoff Luncheon featuring TEDxRedRiver Talks by guest speakers Maura Nevel Thomas “Control Your Attention, Control Your Life” and Jacques Rodrigue “Blue Dog, Creativity and an Education Revolution.” The event will be held Friday, September 20thr at Margaritaville Resort Casino’s Paradise Theater from 11:15am-1:00pm There will also be a benefit raffle of Blue Dogs on the Red Remarque print with proceeds benefitting the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, DigiFest, Bossier Arts Council and AFCEA ArkLaTex. Special performance by Alex Barenboim on the famed Rodrigue Steinway prior to the event in the hotel lobby.Maura Nevel Thomas
Productivity and effectiveness expert Maura

Thomas helps people take control of their busy
lives at work and at home so that they achieve
their significant results. As a speaker, trainer,
and author of PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
SECRETS (Wiley, 2012), Maura shares the
truth about goal achievement, from everyday
goals to life goals. Her unique message that
“attention management” is the secret to getting
more done will have your audience viewing
productivity in a whole new way. She debunks
the myths about “time management” and
“information overload,” empowering listeners
with secrets and strategies to:
• More easily manage all the details of
life and work
• Master technology that supports
productivity -- or sabotages it,
• Find joy and exhilaration in daily activities,
not just exhaustion,
• Lower stress, and improve clarity and
peace of mind.
Her unique and effective approach to
productivity has made Maura Thomas a
featured expert in hundreds of local and
national media outlets including Good Day
Austin, NPR, Fast Company, Entrepreneur.
com, the Austin American Statesman, the
Houston Business Journal, and Productive!
Magazine. Her entertaining and engaging
presentations, supported by the runaway
success of PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
SECRETS, will be the highlight of any event
that aims to motivate, inspire, and empower
its audience.

Jacques Rodrigue

Jacques Rodrigue, Executive Director of
George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts
(GRFA), graduated from Louisiana State
University in General Business Administration
and later received his law degree from Tulane
Law School in 2007. Jacques currently
lives in New Orleans where he also serves
as House Counsel for Rodrigue Studio, his
father’s art gallery. As Executive Director
of GRFA, Jacques publicly advocates for an
arts-integrated education system through all
media and oversees the Foundation’s annual
Scholarship Art Contest for Louisiana high
school students and “George’s Art Closet” (a
program that gives art supplies to schools
across Louisiana). In 2012, Jacques and
GRFA launched Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+)
and joined the National A+ Schools Consortium
Network which has 120 member schools
in North Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
LAA+ is the first whole school arts-integrated
school network of its kind in Louisiana and
currently 7 schools in the state are members.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The
PHENOM FILM FEST (PFF) was created in 2012, to offer exposure and
advance public interest in independent films without distribution, that
might never be seen by the general public and to showcase the local
region of Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana as a major film center for
its' filmmaking resources and talent. We strive to support the spirit of
independent filmmaking on a local, national and international level in
all genres of film to include Drama, Comedy, Documentaries, Animated,
Horror, Sci-fi, Fantasy, GLBT, Action/Adventure.

Monday, August 19, 2013

BOSSIER CITY, LA - 8/7/13 - The Bossier Arts Council found out late Wednesday afternoon that they were the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Jack and Jill Foundation for their youth centered Budding Artist Association. The Budding Artists Association a project of the Bossier Arts Council is a league of students that work together to plan, organize, and implement Arts Education Programming for Bossier Parish Schools.

The Jack and Jill of America Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. which consists of over 200 chapters throughout the United States. Since the Foundation's inception in 1968, chapters have been instrumental in supporting community based organizations that help children and families. The Foundation, which is based in Washington, D.C., has distributed millions of dollars to non-profit organizations all across America, and continues to deepen its vision with Jack and Jill of America, Inc. as the needs of families and children become more complex in the 21st century.

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Bossier
Arts Council (BAC) is currently accepting applications from individuals wishing
to gain hands on experience through both paid and unpaid internships. These internships will focus in a variety of
disciplines/duties including but not limited to the following:

Graphic Design

Non-profit Administration

Education

Technical Theatre

Gallery Management

Accounting

Promotions/Marketing

Technical Writing/Grant Writing

Those
interested in applying should drop off a resume, cover letter, and fill out an
application at Bossier Arts

Council located at 630 Barksdale Blvd., Bossier
City, Louisiana.

The Bossier
Arts Council is a 501 c-3 non profit whose mission is to promote, support, and
provide cultural events and programming in order to enhance the quality of life
and to develop a cultural identity for Bossier Parish. To learn more about BAC and their programs
visit their website at www.bossierarts.org, their blog at www.bossierarts.blogspot.com, or call 318-741-8310.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

This week I had the opportunity to talk to DigiFest South Music Events Presenting Sponsors the Downtown Development Authority. Liz Swaine, Executive Director, was kind enough to answer some questions about the D DA and all the exciting and wonderful things they do for Shreveport!BAC: What is the primary purpose of your organization?Swaine:The Downtown Development Authority exists to pursue, support and welcome initiatives to encourage private development and to promote and coordinate public development in Shreveport’s Downtown Development District.BAC:What is your favorite place in Shreveport? Why?Swaine:It probably wouldn’t surprise you when we say ‘downtown.’ Downtown is a neat place with a unique vibe and the history of the place is fascinating. Gun fights in the street, yellow fever, river treachery, a legal Red Light District, a Confederate shipyard, grand architecture, Elvis Presley…all played a role in making our downtown what it is today.BAC:What about DigiFest South makes you the most excited?Swaine:The networking. We love the concept of bringing like-minded people together and letting them ferment. The brew that they create can make for exciting opportunities!BAC: What is your favorite thing about technology?Swaine:That you can’t sleep, although this is sort of a Catch-22 that keeps us glued to our smart devices. You can’t stop paying attention for a moment or some new innovation will sneak up on you. Who even remembers MySpace anymore?BAC: Who is your favorite artist (any discipline) and why?Swaine:Daft Punk, of course. Any group that can get Stephen Colbert, Matt Damon and Henry Kissinger involved in a viral dance party is #1 in our book.

For more information about Shreveport D DA click here and to like them on facebook click here. For more information about DigiFest South click here and here.

New
in the Emerging Artist Gallery, the art of Jessica Ingram. The exhibition
begins August 17-September 14.

"My name is Jessica Ingram, I am a Fine Art
Photographer and I see the world through a square. When I look through my view
finder; I do not see what is in front of me, but all the possibilities of
imagination and reality collaborating towards a bigger picture. Countless times
I seen the world in black and white, later to turn the image I captured
monochromatic. Or felt that the landscape I was looking at was too beautiful
for reality. There is an underlying beauty in everything single thing in this
world; whether it is in the clouds, in the shadows or not obvious at all
... it is there. That is what I strive to capture, and preserve forever and for
everyone to see. " Jessica Ingram

Monday, August 12, 2013

Shreveport-Bossier's new semi-professional chorus, the Prisma Vocal Ensemble, will be holding auditions from 6-9 p.m. on Sunday, September 1 at Asbury United Methodist Church located at 3200 Airline Drive in Bossier City. Auditions will include basic vocalization, group sight-reading, and assessment of vocal blend. Contact Adam Philley at primsavocalensemble@gmail.com for audition materials in advance.

Founded by conductor Adam Philley and composer-in-residence Costas Dafnis, the Prisma Vocal Ensemble is committed to presenting quality performances of word-class repertoire and compensating singers for their dedication. Philley has recently returned to Shreveport after earning his masters of music in choral conducting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln under the advisement of Dr. Peter Eklund and Dr. Therees Hibbard. Dafnis is an active composer receiving commissions and winning competitions across the globe. His choral music is published through Walton Music and Noisi Paintr. Both Philley and Dafnis are alumni of Centenary College.

"We are both very excited to bring this opportunity to the Shreveport-Bossier area," said Philley. "Choral music has a rich tradition in our area and it's time we had our own semi-professional vocal ensemble! We believe in the power of this genre of music to move and touch people. We're very passionate about bringing the highest quality musical experiences possible to our audiences."

Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Louisiana State Arts Council, and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.